


The Cooper Family Curse

by Brightest_Moonstone



Category: Sly Cooper (Video Games)
Genre: Copious Feelings, F/M, Feelings, Minor canon divergence, and not all of them good, in which Sly and Carm actually talk about their relationship, kind of a Sly 4 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 16:14:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12369399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brightest_Moonstone/pseuds/Brightest_Moonstone
Summary: A series of conversations between Sly and his ancestors in which he learns that Clockwerk isn't the only thing Coopers have to worry about.





	1. Rioichi

Honestly when Sly had woken up that morning he had not expected to end his day in Feudal Japan, sitting across from a many times great relative whilst he and his gang schemed to take down a warmongering tiger. A heist, a heist he’d been expecting even the time travel had been a factor but whatever kind of nonsense that was happening in Rioichi’s time was definitely a surprise.

Carmelita finding him at the museum had been a surprise too; he had hoped to spare her. He had hoped to get the job done and go home to her, make her breakfast in the morning and complain about the hours she worked. Go back to life as usual, but now?  
Now he was worried he might not be able to fix this, might not be able to mend the trust he’d broken. Sly shook his head; no of course, he could fix this. They had a time machine after all. 

He pulled her photograph from the pouch on his leg, Carmelita had been angry with him before and she’d always forgiven him. He’d probably just need to grovel for a while.

“What… what is that?” Rioichi passing behind him had seen the picture in Sly’s hand.

Sly held up the photo, “ummm… it’s a picture of my… of my… This can’t be the strangest thing you’ve seen today Rioichi.” 

Rioichi held out a hand, “may I?”

Sly passed him the photo, Rioichi had been so reserved it was strange to see such naked emotion on the elder Cooper’s face.

“I know it to be impossible but she reminds me of… of someone else.”

“Really who?” Sly asked curious. Maybe Carmelita had an ancestor running around Feudal Japan too, that’d be something to see.

“My wife. The other half of my heart.” Rioichi said passing the photo back.

Sly choked, “your what?”

Rioichi adjusted his hood, looking somewhere toward the ceiling. “Well we were never officially married but that is what she was to me.”

“Wife?” Sly repeated. The Thievius Raccoonus never mentioned Rioichi having any direct descendants, but then again it didn’t mention the sushi restaurant either.

“It is a tale. A long one.” Rioichi said.

“We’ll listen if you want to tell it.” Sly said, beside him Bentley and Murray nodded in silent unison.

Rioichi thought for a moment, and then nodded. “Come with me.”

He beckoned the three of them from around the table and led them down through the bowels of his hideout to a small alcove cut from the rock. Lighting the incense placed there  
Rioichi knelt for a moment, head bowed, hands pressed together.

“Hey what’s that?” Murray whispered to Bentley.

“It looks like a household shrine. Shinto worshippers often have them dedicated to a chosen deity or a… deceased family member.”

“Oh.”

The shrine held a cluster of items, a small carved figurine of a female fox in a kimono, a woman’s comb, and a dried branch.

Turning Rioichi sat cross-legged and motioned for the others to do the same. Once they were positioned, he began.

“When I was a young man, younger than you are now. A greedy lord who wanted our allegiance or our deaths drove the other Kupā and me from our home. When we would not bend the knee he ordered our village razed, we fled under cover of night eventually coming to the Kuenai lands. The Kuenai were a noble clan of foxes known for their wisdom and their cunning, the Daimyō at the time was a good man, patient, fair. He cared for his people, in exchange for granting my clan safe haven I entered his service. He assigned me to guard his most beloved treasure, his daughter.” Rioichi cast a sad glance over his shoulder. “My Chika.” He turned back to his audience. “At first I was unhappy; I thought it beneath my skills as a ninja to play bodyguard to a spoiled princess. Especially one who already had a number of onna-bugeisha to protect her.

Then I came to know her and saw her kindness, her fierceness, her intelligence. I loved her.” He let out a sigh. “And she returned my feelings, for a time we were very happy.”

“What happened?” Murray asked inching forward.

“Her father died and his brother, Chika’s uncle took over. He was a small-minded man, violent and cruel. He had his sights set on Kyoto, consumed with desire to become Shogun but knowing the Kuenai did not have the force of arms he focussed everything on training soldiers. He pulled men from their farms, raised taxes so he might buy weapons, lost sight of everything but his dreams of future power. It was only through Chika’s actions and my clan raiding the tax collectors that the people were fed, the peasants even began worshipping Chika as an incarnation of Inari, the Goddess of rice. We fought hard, we survived, we thought as long as we were together we need not fear any hardship. Foolish youth I suppose.

A trader arrived from Europe, another fox. A man named Cortez; he had weapons he wished to sell. His condition for trade was to be marriage to Chika, he hoped marriage to a native would allow him greater freedom to trade within Japan, as the distrust of foreigners was strong. He began attempting to woo Chika,” Rioichi’s face twisted at the memory. “He gave her jewellery, exotic cloth, pretty baubles and a… jewelled copy of a cherry blossom branch. I grew jealous I was resentful that he could be so forthright in his pursuit of her whilst I was limited to secrecy and shadows. My Chika, she assured me that I had her heart, called me husband. 

The new Daimyō refused Cortez’s terms. Chika was beloved. He knew he could not force her lest he risk those who supported her revolting. Again foolish boy that I was I thought we had nothing to fear, I underestimated the Daimyō’s lust for power. He wanted the weapons Cortez had and so a bargain was struck. The Daimyō would approve the marriage and begin a trade alliance on the condition that Cortez apprehend the ‘bandits’ harassing the tax collectors. Chika urged me caution but in my arrogance, I dismissed her concerns. I believed I could escape anything.”

“Didn’t you try and leave?” Sly asked, “Try and get her out of there, just disappear?”

“We could not. Chika had her duty to her people and my clan did not… _approve_. A princess, they said would not flourish with us, a princess was not cut out to live the rest of her days in the mud.” Rioichi sighed again. “Sometimes I still wonder what might have happened differently if we had run when we had the chance. If I had been less of a fool.

While I was away on a raid with my clan I received a message bearing Chika’s seal, it said that she had changed her mind that she wanted to flee. She begged me to come to her so I did, I ran to her, ran straight into a trap. Cortez captured me, told me that Chika had betrayed me. And to my shame in my anger and my hurt, I believed him. I was dragged before the Daimyō and sentenced to death, I was imprisoned and my clan came to save me, freed me and as we escaped I heard a voice calling to me.

I was on the wall of the keep, I remember… I will never forget. Her feet were bare, her hair unbound, she was in her nightclothes even though it was not late. She called my name, called me husband, reached for me…” Rioichi held up one hand stretching out to a memory, he closed his hand into a fist snatching it back to rest on his knee. “I could have jumped to her, could have taken her with me. I could have saved her but still nursing my wounded pride I turned away. She called to me again, this time a warning, I did not hear the archers until it was too late. I watched an arrow strike her as she tried to protect me.” He bowed his head. “She told me to go, the hand she had reached became a plea for me to run. I tried to go back to her but my clan pulled me away.”

“Did she…” Murray asked, his bottom lip wobbling dangerously.

“No she did not die, my only comfort in all of this is that she lived. I heard she was to marry Cortez and then he was to take her to Spain, I resolved that I must see her again and hear from her own lips what had happened. But there was no way into the keep, the Daimyō’s new arquebusiers made sure of that. My last chance would be as she was transported to the ship, I waited, I prepared and then the morning I was to intercept her palanquin I slept far too late. I rode as fast as I could only to see the sails of her ship disappear over the horizon.

I discovered that my own clan had drugged me. When I asked my uncle, the head of our clan about what they had done, he laid his hand on my shoulder and said,  
‘You are the best of us Rioichi, it is your duty to have strong children who will learn the Kupā techniques. Children you could not have had with her.’  
I left the clan that night, struck out on my own. I have not been back since.”

Sly blinked, what a story.

“Did you ever find out what happened, with the letter? Did the princess really betray you?” Murray asked leaning forward tears in his eyes.

“Many years later I happened to met with one of the onna-bugeisha who had guarded Chika now working as a mercenary, the Daimyō had dismissed them all once Chika had been sent away. She told me everything, Cortez had bribed a number of the castle staff, a maid had stolen Chika’s seal, the letter had been forged. Men loyal to Cortez had locked Chika in her rooms, her onna-bugeisha freed her that was when she tried to get to me.” He took a long, steadying breath. “I then learned that she made a deal with Cortez, if his men ceased hunting my clan she would marry him and go willingly to Europe with him securing his trade alliance. I doubted her and it cost me everything.” Rioichi rose to his feet. He looked at Sly, “do not make the same mistake I did. Do not let your pride cost as it cost me.”

Sly felt an uncomfortable clench in his gut as he remembered the furious look on Carmelita’s face.

“So you left your clan and you never… there was never anyone else?” Murray asked blowing his nose loudly.

“No.” Rioichi said sadly looking at the shrine. “The price of the Cooper family curse I suppose.”

“Clockw…” Sly started to say only to have Bentley elbow him sharply in the middle.

Rioichi turned, “hmm?”

“Look at the clock.” Bentley said quickly and little too loudly in the aftermath of Rioichi’s solemn story. “We should get moving.”

Rioichi nodded, “you are correct. You have listened to this old man long enough, come let us go.”

Do not let your pride cost you, echoed in Sly’s head as he looked from the little shrine and the bare scraps Rioichi had managed to salvage of what had once been a passionate relationship. He shot a glance at his ancestor’s retreating back. No, he could fix this. He would fix this. He had to.


	2. Tennessee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tennessee's backstory and Suzanne Cooper belong to Tennessee's biggest fan  
> [Ironic Snap](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10430790)

Sly sat on the roof of the hideout surreptitiously watching Carmelita’s target practice, he had the unhappy feeling she was imagining his head in place of the cans that she was shooting at. Tennessee had been out there with her earlier, showing off, shooting from the hip, making her laugh… yeah that didn’t grate at all.

Seeing Carmelita had been another surprise, he’d been anticipating only having to deal with her anger once they had returned to Paris, and then she had suddenly been here. Furious, impossible to ignore and stubbornly refusing to listen. It made Sly’s head ache to think of trying to pacify her with everything else they still had to deal with going on.  
She needed time, when she’d had a chance to process, when she’d calmed down then he’d talk to her, she’d understand. He could fix this.

There was a rustling beside him and Tennessee appeared on the roof, “evenin’ cousin.” 

“Hi.” Sly muttered.

Tennessee lit a thin cigar tracking Sly’s gaze, “she’s a right real spitfire ain’t she? If I ever find me a girl I want her t’ be like that.”

“You don’t have anyone special?” Sly asked absently still watching Carmelita.

Tennessee laughed, “You’re kiddin’ me right? Look at me cousin, I’m a scruffy, train robbing, stagecoach hustling, voices in my head hearing raccoon. Ain’t no respectable girl gunna give up her nice safe town or homestead for a life with me.”

Sly thought of how the days when Carmelita used to chase him across rooftops, screaming for his blood had become her voice soft in his ear as lay together in their bed. “You might be surprised.” He said.

“Heh.” Tennessee tipped his head back, blowing smoke, “s’pose. ‘Course there’s the Cooper family curse t’ worry about too.”

“You know about Clockwerk?”

“What about clocks?” Tennessee looked at him, cigar dangling from his fingers.

“Nothing.” Sly said quickly, he wasn’t meant to warn his ancestors. Wasn’t meant to change things more than they already had been. “What curse?” He asked. Rioichi had mentioned a curse as well, if he hadn’t been talking about Clockwerk what had he meant?

Sly watched Tennessee’s shoulders droop, his mouth pulling down slightly, “no one ever taught you?”

“I’m self taught.” Sly admitted. “My parents died when I was eight.”

“Oh that’s harsh cousin.” He shook his head, lifting his cigar back to mouth. “My Aunt Suzanne used to say that us Coopers loved hard, it’s our balance. All our skill, all our ability and our love keeps us honest, keeps us to our code. So when we fall, we fall hard. It’s the price we pay, the Cooper family curse.”

Sly tucked one knee to his chest, letting his other leg dangle idly. “Doesn’t sound like much of a curse.”

“Wait until you lose someone.” Tennessee said sadly. “I’ve seen it, it ain’t pretty.”

“What happened?”

Tennessee sighed, “it’s a long story…”

“Been hearing a few of those lately.” Sly offered a grin.

“My aunt taught me everything I know,” Tennessee began.

“Not your parents?”

Tennessee snorted. “My father is a cobbler, never wanted no part of the ‘family business’ made it right clear I was a pretty big disappointment for not wanting to make shoes for a living. So lucky for me there was Aunt Suzanne, bravest, strongest person I ever knew, she used to say t’ me ‘Billy…’”

“Billy?” Sly spluttered.

“Y’all didn’t think my parents took me into the local church and christened me Tennessee did ya?”

Sly shrugged. “My parents called me ‘Sly’ I’m not really one to question other Cooper naming conventions.”

Tennessee tilted his head in acknowledgement. “Anyhow Aunt Suzanne used t’ say to me ‘Billy being a Cooper ain’t just about what we can do, it’s about doin’ what’s right. It’s about justice, and if we forget that then we ain’t no better than the people we’re stealing from.’ And she lived by that, fought hard especially for the local native tribes. There was always someone coming in wanting their land, tryin’ to drive ‘em out, tryin’ to hurt ‘em. Aunt Suzanne had a lover, a crow named Maska from the Yuchi tribe. He was a good man, thoughtful, strong, loved Suzanne somethin’ fierce.” Tennessee took a long drag from his cigar. “He travelled with her sometimes, protected her. 

When I was around twelve, maybe thirteen the three of us were heading through Blackfoot territory and there was a dispute between the natives and a pack of settlers. The settlers had moved a fence into the Blackfoot lands so Aunt Suzanne offered to go along and try to help mediate. So there’s us and two braves from the Blackfoot on one side and some red faced pig and his sons on the other. I tell you I ain’t never seen anyone so jumpy as the youngest son, no one should’ve ever given that kid a shotgun.

Aunt Suzanne was trying to explain that they couldn’t just start farming wherever they please and this man was yelling at her and one of the Blackfoot braves was hanging onto me by the scruff of the neck cuz I was mad as hell at how this pig was talking to my aunt. 

Then Maska…” Tennessee trailed off. “He didn’t even move, just turned his head like he was gonna to speak and the kid shot him.” He shook his head, “it was awful. A great big, messy hole right through him.” Tennessee tapped his own chest for emphasis. “Suzanne I’d never seen her that upset, crying and screaming. Kept holding onto him, calling his name.” He butted out his cigar with more force than necessary, grinding it down onto the tile. “I was standin’ three feet away and there wasn’t a damn thing I could have done. I just had t’ stand there and watch while the best person I knew went all to pieces.”

Sly blanched, “that’s terrible.” He said. “What ended up happening?”

“I let out all their cattle and stole their tools.” Tennessee said. “Made damn nuisance of myself pretending to be a spirit of the Blackfoot tribe until they got the message that they couldn’t keep pushing out. Suzanne and I stayed there a while trying to help, it was the maddest I ever saw her. She went kinda feral trying to mourn like the Yuchi do and keep fighting like a Cooper. I wanted to take her back to Maska’s tribe but she told me she’d go on her own, when her mourning was done. She was never quite the same after losing Maska she just seemed smaller somehow.”

“I bet.” Sly murmured, he was trying hard not to think about what he’d do if something like that happened to a member of his gang. Unbidden the memory of Dr M pointing his weapon at Carmelita and the terrible rush of panic Sly had felt when he thought he might lose her came to him. Sly shook his head, he had no wish to revisit that particular scene. “Where’s you aunt now?”

“Don’t rightly know. She was headin’ south last I saw of her and that was a fair few years ago.” Tennessee struck a match and stared intensely at the little flame, watching it burn for a moment before lighting another cigar. “Hope she’s doin’ alright.”

Sly remembered the dark shadow of wings in the background of Tennessee’s page in Thievius Raccoonus and stayed silent. “I still don’t know how much of a ‘curse’ that is, isn’t it normal to grieve after losing someone you love.”

“It’s hard to explain unless you see it for yourself. With Suzanne it was like part of her just… went out.” Tennessee lit another match and blew it out to demonstrate. “There was never anyone after Maska either, just him.”

Rioichi had said the same about the loss of his wife, Sly remembered.

“So… it’ll be her then?” Tennessee asked, an entirely too pleased with himself grin on his face.

“What?”

“Miss Carmelita, she your… y’know one. Like Maska and my aunt?”

Sly blinked, “no it’s not like that.” He cared about Carmelita, he cared a great deal but loving her was not some kind of curse.

Tennessee blew smoke rings toward the orange sky. “Ever been to Egypt cousin? Gone swimmin’ in denial?”

“Very funny.” Sly muttered dryly.

“You want t’ be careful with that one cousin, death ain’t the only way to lose someone. Words ’ll do it too.”

“I am not going to lose her.” Sly said firmly. “I can fix this, I just need to give Carmelita some time to cool down first.”

Both of them looked down in unison to where Carmelita was talking quietly with Murray.

“You gonna tell me what you did t’ make her madder at you than a hornet in a bottle?”

“No.” Sly said shortly. It was a long list, and even with the time machine, they probably didn’t have enough years between them for Sly to explain everything he’d done.

Tennessee clapped him on the shoulder, “hope you know what you’re dealing with Sly.”

So did Sly, “I know Carmelita. I can fix this.” He said.

Tennessee got to his feet, “good luck cousin and let me know how that water is in Egypt.”

Sly rolled his eyes as a chuckling Tennessee disappeared back into the hideout. He was not in denial, he leaned back on his elbows watching the setting sun.

Once this job was done he’d try talking to Carmelita again, make her understand why he’d had to do this. He would apologise. She’d forgive him. She had to.

He could fix this.


	3. Bob

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sly owes Tennessee an apology

Every time Sly thought he had adjusted to his new circumstances, some new surprise came flying at him. A crash landing in the Ice Age had not been part of the plan.  
For the moment Sly was just glad they were all in one piece.

“Quick thinking with the necklace Bentley.”

“Thanks. Now let’s hope I can fix this.” Bentley said gesturing at the mangled time machine. 

Sly looked over to where Carmelita was standing in the snow, yeah him too. He grabbed a blanket and strode across to her, he wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and offered Carmelita half but she pushed him away storming off toward the tree line.

“’Lita.” He called following her. The ground at his feet was scorched as Carmelita fired a warning shot and turned away. Sly set his jaw, no he’d stalled long enough he needed to talk to her. “’Lita!”

“I will shoot you Cooper.” She threatened, eyes fixed dead ahead.

“Talk to me ‘Lita please.”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“At least let me explain…”

She snapped abruptly to a stop, Sly could see her trembling head to toe. “You want to explain? Explain to me how long that you’ve been doing this. How long this has been going on.”

“How long?” Sly echoed. Oh, he realised, the deception, the amnesia. Well he might as well ‘fess up. “Since we arrived back in Paris.” He said quickly. “I really didn’t remember when I woke up in the vault but it came back after I’d slept.”

He watched her sink to her knees in the snow, “that long?”

He tried to go her but she smacked his hands away,  
“Don’t touch me.” She scrambled to her feet. “If you'd had just been planning to do this, to leave like this right from the start then why did you stay? Was any of it ever even real? Was it all some kind of game to you, some kind of long con so that I wouldn’t throw you in jail?”

Sly blinked as his brain caught up with what Carmelita was saying, oh god he’d answered the wrong question. She’d wanted to know how long he'd been planning the job and now she thought that he didn't.... “No, no, no, no ‘Lita I never lied about how I felt about you. ‘Lita please…” He took a step toward her.

She held up both hands to ward him off. “I brought you into my life, into my home. Into my bed and I have spent the last few months killing myself in the hopes that you would stay.” She pulled at her hair, “such a fool,” she muttered to herself. “I thought you had changed, I hoped I’d helped you change and Dios I was wrong.”

“You noticed I was planning a…” Sly said his voice small.

“Of course I noticed.” She threw up her hands.

“’Lita I’m so sorry…”

“Save it.” She said, her voice very flat and cold. “I am done. Done with all of this and done with you. When we get back to Paris, I don’t ever want to see you again. Let someone else chase you, let someone have their life consumed by you but not me. Not anymore. Do you hear me I am done.” She turned and walked away. “And this time do not follow me.”

The world tilted sickeningly and Sly braced himself against the nearest tree. He couldn’t breathe, standing there staring down the barrel of a life without Carmelita in it and he couldn’t breathe. He bent double trying to gather himself, all he could think was he owed Tennessee an apology.

So much made sense now, the weight she’d lost, the way she’d clung. 

_They’d been at a gala and just as Sly had started to panic that, he’d been caught staring longingly at the centrepiece exhibit Carmelita had pulled him away from the other dancers and lead him to a deserted corner of the museum and let him ruck her skirt and pin her against the wall._  
_“Stay.” She’d whispered so soft he’d wondered if he’d really heard her at all. “Please stay.”_

_That last morning in Paris when he’d gone to rise, she’d wrapped her arms around his waist,_

_“Don’t go.”_

_He’d laughed. “Don’t you want breakfast?”_

_She’d sat up pressing her bare front against his back. “I want you,” She’d whispered._

_Normally he’d have rolled back over, pulled her beneath him, loved her but today he had a job to prep for._

_“You’re going to be late for work.” He’d told her, “what about your case?”_

_She’d pulled away, “of course you’re right.” She’d sounded strangely detached._

And he’d been so blind, so self obsessed that he hadn’t noticed. Hadn’t noticed the jut of her hipbones or the outline of her ribs, the dark circles under her eyes.

‘Do not let your pride cost you.’ Rioichi had said.

What had he done?

What if he couldn’t fix this?

* * *

He was glad he had found Bob when he did. He was glad to have a job to do, an ancestor to help and one of Le Paradox’s lieutenant’s to defeat. Something to help distract him from Carmelita’s parting words and the thought of her out there alone in the snow.

“Still worried about Carmelita?” Bentley asked seeing Sly’s pensive expression.

“She’s not really equipped to be stuck here.” Sly said. “I mean at least we’re all together.”

“If anyone could make the Ice Age bend to them through sheer force of will it’s Carmelita.” Bentley assured him. “In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if her temper was what triggered the great thaw.”

Sly smiled weakly, true enough. He watched Bob and Murray running a training drill, “I can’t believe we found another Cooper here.”

“The first Cooper.” Bentley said, yanking on the wires he was working with. “The greatest of grandfathers, it’d be interesting to see the rest of his tribe.”

Sly wondered if Bob had a mate, kits, a family. Other Coopers, Coopers who would grow without the fear of Clockwerk’s silhouette looming against the moon. There was peace in that thought at least.

“You can’t tell him anything.” Bentley said with more of that uncanny ability he had to read his friends’ minds.

“I know.” It occurred to Sly that Bob wouldn’t know about the so-called family curse either, he supposed that his ancestors would just have to learn as they went, find things out the hard way as he had. He wished they didn’t surely some Coopers deserved happiness didn’t they?

Carmelita remained in the back of his mind over the next few days until Sly found himself fallen quite literally at her feet.

“Carmelita.” He was so relieved to see her alive and unharmed he almost forgot how angry she had been when she left.

“Sly…” She crossed her arms over herself. “I think we should talk.”

“Oh.” He pushed himself up off the ground.

She agreed to return to the safe house with him, Carmelita had information on Grizz for Bentley but she also wanted to talk with Sly about their fight.

“I’m sorry.” She began as the two of them walked together.

“No ‘Lita…”

She held up a hand. “No let me, I’m sorry for trying to pin all the blame on you. I should have said something when I noticed you acting differently… and I never should have lied to you on Kaine Island. I shouldn’t have expected you to change your stripes.” She gave a feeble laugh at her joke and ran a hand through her hair. “I wish you hadn’t lied to me, tried to sneak around behind my back. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking these last few days on my own and even though I’m so angry and so hurt.” She looked away. “I keep coming back to how much I love you and how much I’d hate a life without you in it.”

Hope made him lightheaded, “I’m sorry.” He rushed. “I’m so sorry I… I thought you wouldn’t want me to stay if you knew the truth. I stayed because… because I wanted to be with you.” He’d given up everything to go with her, his brothers, his legacy, everything for her. God he owed Tennessee an apology.

He watched Carmelita take a deep breath, “was it real then?”

“I never lied about how I felt about you.” He repeated, heart aching at her expression. How could she doubt when the thought of life without her brought him to his knees? But could he blame her for doubting, if he’d lied once what was to stop him lying about everything.

He wanted so much to touch her, to reassure her but he was frozen in place waiting for her forgiveness.

“I don’t know what to do.” Carmelita confessed she laid a clenched fist over her heart. Sly could see her shaking and it wasn’t from the cold. “We have so much to try and work through and now probably isn’t the best time. When we get home… when we get back to Paris I’d like to talk properly but for now with everything going on I understand we need to work together.” She held out a hand as if to shake his.

Sly looked from her extended hand to her face and pulled her into a hug, “’Lita.” He muttered into her hair. “’Lita.” He squeezed his eyes shut fighting back tears. “I’m sorry for dragging you into all of this. I’m sorry for everything… I…” He swallowed thickly forcing himself to speak. This needed to be said. “I… I love you.”

He heard her breath catch, “dammit Cooper.” Her arms wrapped around him, he felt her shaking as she cried, sobbing muffled Spanish against his neck. Too distraught to use their shared language, clinging to him like he was anchor in a storm.

It wasn’t forgiveness, not yet but it wasn’t an ending either.

He could bear that.

“I love you too.” She whispered. “Dios if I didn’t love you so much I’d hate you.”

He could bear that too.

“’Lita I want to make this work.”

She pulled away, “we’ll talk about that when we get home Ringtail. I still need time to think.”

He could give her that, all the time she wanted. He was just glad he had reason to hope again after days of pain.

He held out a hand mimicking her earlier gesture, “Inspector Fox.”

“Cooper.” She said putting a hand in his.

He longed to kiss her but there would be time for that later. 

He could fix this.

He would fix this for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I know Bob didn't really feature in this chapter but it's kinda hard to write a conversation when one half can't speak.
> 
> Also no way has Clockwerk been kicking around since the Ice Age (I firmly believe he originated in Egypt around the time of Slytunkamen)


	4. Galleth

Sly was furious, after everything how could she?

How dare she! She’d been one of them, fought alongside them. He’d trusted her, they had all trusted her.

And this was how Penelope repaid that trust, how she repaid Bentley’s love for her.

No one hurt Sly Cooper’s friends and he was going to make sure that his former gang member understood that.

 

Sly had not been expecting so much trouble with Galleth, the man just Did. Not. Listen.

Where Riocihi had been reserved, Tennessee impulsive and Bob out of shape, Galleth was just maddening.

“Stubbornness runs in the family then?” Carmelita observed wryly as Sly wrestled Galleth back into the hideout.

Sly’s mouth fell open, “I am not this bad.”

Murray snorted loudly.

“I say unhand me! We must strike at this fiend.” Galleth yelled as Sly threw his body weight on top of his ancestor.

“You have clearly never seen yourself when you want something.” Carmelita said coolly. “Do you remember that fair in Majorca?”

Sly’s ears drooped, “I wanted to win you a prize, that’s different.”

Carmelita pointed between Sly and Galleth, “I’m just saying I certainly see the resemblance.” She got to her feet motioning for Sly to move. “Stay.” She ordered Galleth in her best ‘I am the cop and I am in charge here’ tone of voice.

Meekly Galleth sat.

“Good. Now I’m going to go try talking to Bentley, see if we can’t coax a plan out of him. Do not move until I get back, understood?”

Galleth nodded.

Carmelita nodded back. “Good man.” She said and spun on her heel.

Both Coopers watched the flick of her tail as she walked away.

“Forsooth. A truly fearsome lady is she.”

Sly laughed, “oh you don’t know the half of it.”

“Kings and dragons would tremble at her feet.” Galleth said with a note of reverence.

Sly felt a prickle of jealously, oh no been there done that. 

“You know she and I are… umm…” How to phrase the currently very complicated state of his relationship with Carmelita?

“Ah she is your lady? Forgive me I had wondered but noticed no token.”

Sly shifted, “yeah well.” He exchanged a look with Murray who just shook his head and shrugged. Great on his own then. “She’s my umm…” What had Tennessee called her? His one. “She’s the other half of my heart.” That was what Rioichi had said about his wife. Sly could feel Murray’s stare burning into the side of his head, Sly avoided his friend’s gaze it was unlike him he knew to make such a declaration. But the last few days had forced him to think about a lot of things.

Galleth made an understanding noise, “ah not just your lady then, your lover’s bane.”

“My what? Do you mean the curse?”

“Indeed.” Galleth nodded. “The greatest contradiction of the Cooper family, our love gives strength and takes it away. I saw it firsthand when my mother died, her loss broke my father.”

“Oh I’m sorry.”

“No, no fear not ‘twas many years ago I was still but a squire.” Galleth stared off out the window. “My mother was a remarkable lady, sharp of mind and indomitable of spirit but her body was weak. She was often ill and could never travel far, she was a great lover of knowledge and devoured any text my father returned with for her. Her tactical planning saved our Order on many occasions.”

More death, Sly was starting to wonder if that was a product of the times his ancestors lived in or if that was the true nature of this so-called ‘curse’. That your love was doomed to be short-lived.

That was not a thought Sly was comfortable with, especially not in regards to Carmelita. He thought of his own parents, remembered watching them dance around the kitchen while his father hummed off-key. He remembered the terrible crack of his mother’s neck breaking and his father howling for her.  
He passed a hand over his face pushing away the memories. He didn’t think about that night, didn’t like the feelings that those memories invoked.

“I say cousin are you well?” Galleth asked. “You have quite lost your colour.”

Sly waved a hand, “I’m fine.”

“My father used to say ‘a curse is only a curse if you think of it as such.’ He told me to never shy away from love out of the simple fear of losing it. If we pay the price with our grief so be it, to know true passion is to know true mourning.”

“That’s actually pretty good advice.” Sly said, didn’t mean he wasn’t still terrified. He did not handle his emotions well, he knew that about himself. A joke was easier than anger and anger was easier than sadness.

And right now, anything would be easier than the raw feeling in his chest, the sick-anxious sensation of knowing he might lose Carmelita, the weight of realisation of just how much he loved her. It was not something he was comfortable confronting, he chose instead to focus on the hope he had felt when she had told him she still wanted him in her life.  
She’d been softer, more co-operative, more willing to smile and joke since they’d arrived in Galleth’s time. He took that as a good sign.

“Sly?” Murray asked. “Do you think Bentley is going to be okay?

The anger at Penelope’s betrayal surged back and Sly clung to it, using it to drown out his own uncertainty and fear. “I hope so Big Guy.”

They were going to need the Cooper Gang’s brains if they had any hope of combatting the nightmare inducing weirdness that was going on here.

“A betrayal of trust is the most heinous of acts between lovers.” Galleth said. “To feel yourself fractured as the part of you that loves the one who betrayed you must confront the truth of their actions.” He shook his head. “I grieve for your friend, the most difficult battles we ever face are the ones within ourselves.”

Murray nodded in agreement. “Yeah that’s true when I trained with my Guru he told me to begin a journey you must first go within.”

Sly tilted back in his chair, staring out toward the village.

“True strength is rising above one’s own demons. In defeating that which we fear in our hearts there is no outward foe we cannot face.” Galleth continued.

Sly let all four legs of his chair come back to rest on the ground with a loud clatter. “I’m going to see how Carmelita is doing with Bentley.”

“Uh Sly maybe you should…”

“It’s fine, I’ll be right back.” Sly said kicking his cane up into his hand.

Confront that which scared him, rise above the darkness inside himself, look within. Do not let your pride cost you, words will take someone from you as surely as death will. Once he’d slipped from the room, he let out a long breath, relaxed his shoulders and unclenched his too tight grip on his cane.

He had a lot of introspection to do, but it would have to wait until there wasn’t a job to do, until there wasn’t a friend in need of comforting.  
There would be time enough for all of that later. Some time when he could be alone to think, to reflect. He had a lifetime of terrible emotional habits to work through but if a lie had got him into this mess maybe honesty could help him fix it.  
He was looking forward to all of this being done, to going back to Paris and getting things back to normal. To working things out with Carmelita, to being able to spend time with his gang again.

But first, Penelope was going down.


	5. Salim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some dialogue at the end lifted directly from the game  
> *standard disclaimer blah blah blah*

Nothing was ever easy.

And for all of Sly’s belief that if something was easy then it wouldn’t be fun, right now he was ready for just one goddamned thing to be easy.

Alas, no such luck.

When Sly was growing up in the orphanage he used to wonder how people with families could complain about various relatives, surely it would be wonderful just to have them around at all.

Now he understood.

Once again, he found himself perched on the roof of a hideout this time looking up at the night sky. There were so many stars here, familiar constellations lost to the sheer volume, it was beautiful but it did make him feel small. Meeting his ancestors, his heroes from the Thievius Raccoonus had been equal parts wonderful and frustrating. He supposed it was fair enough that underneath all the history and the legends they were in the end just people.

“Here you are, the others are looking for you.” Carmelita climbed up next to him.

“Here I am.” Sly said softly. “I just needed to think for a minute.”

“It’s good for that out here, so quiet.” She sat in silence, knees drawn to her chest, her tail curled over her feet.

They shared space with the ease of those long practiced, separate interests had years ago established a pattern of companionable silences. It was easy, comfortable for them to sit side by side enjoying each other’s company without the need for words.

Sly felt himself relax, releasing a breath he hadn’t been aware he’d been holding. He’d missed this, just the reassuring feeling of knowing that she was there.

If he closed his eyes he could almost pretend that they were home, sitting on their balcony as the night turned too cool to be outside. 

Could almost pretend everything was normal.

Almost.

“Sly?”

“Yes?” He looked at her his heart in his throat. He didn’t like being so off-kilter that every time Carmelita addressed him brought a fresh wave of uncertainty as he worried what she might say.

“I’ve been thinking…”

He leant toward her, “yes?”

She offered him her hand to hold, he took it between both his own edging closer so that he could kiss her fingers.

“I said before that I’d hate a life without you in it and when I thought that gate was going to drop on you and having to watch you in a fight where I could not help… It just made me think of all the things I’d miss if you were… if you were gone. I still don’t want to talk about this here but I wanted to let you know.” She met his gaze. “I want to make this work too.”

He pulled her against himself into a crushing hug, bowed head resting on her shoulder. “’Lita.” Everything spun. He was so happy, so relieved. He felt a weight had been lifted.  
“Thank you.” He croaked.

“I love you.” She whispered. “Fool that I am.”

“Fools together.” Sly managed shakily, god he wanted to kiss her.

“We should go back in, Bentley wanted to run through his plan for saving Salim’s friends.” Carmelita said pulling away from him.

“Right behind you.”

“You’d better be.” She said pointing at him.

Sly watched her climb back down into the hideout, then tipped his face up toward the stars.

Nothing was ever easy.

Except maybe this.

Loving her was easy.

* * *

Salim called the other members of his gang his brothers, Sly felt a kinship with that Bentley and Murray were his family after all.

“Do you have any family beside your gang?” Carmelita asked putting a pot of fragrant tea down on the table.

Salim was eating again, the old man was insatiable. “Hmm?” Mouth full, he pointed at Sly.

Carmelita rolled her eyes and Sly chuckled as he poured her a cup of tea. “I mean a wife, children of your own?”

“Oh yes of course.”

“Couldn’t you have sent for them to come and help?” Carmelita asked absently accepting the cup from Sly.

“Oh my children are grown and gone, out into the world to establish their own names.” Salim waved a dismissive hand. “None of them wished to stay where there was already a Cooper and forty of his thieves to compete with for fame and pickings.”

“How many children do you have?” Sly was curious, the Thievius Raccoonus didn’t record any of Salim’s direct descendants. Just a grandchild or two who had come up with techniques of their own.

“Oh… um… hmm…” Salim paused in his eating to count on his fingers. “Let me think, mm about twenty or so I would say.”

Carmelita stared aghast. “Twenty?”

Salim offered her a very Cooper smirk, “I had a band of forty thieves, and not all were men.” He took a cup of tea for himself. “Just as not all my lovers were women.”

Sly sat back blinking, Salim al-Kupar was a player. Who’d have known?

Across the room Bentley cleared his throat, “umm Carmelita could I borrow you a moment?”

Carmelita pushed her chair back and rose from the table, once she was out of earshot Sly turned to Salim. He wondered, “Salim have you heard of the Cooper family curse?”

“Oh my yes. I am an old man am I not? I have learned I have seen.” Salim’s gaze flicked to Carmelita. “She is yours then yes? The great love of your life?”

Sly squirmed, “yesss…”

“Have a care my boy I will tell you I never truly believed in this idea that love bound us and cursed us. I had many lovers and not all of my partings with them were sweet but I never felt the terrible despair I had been warned of when I lost them.” His face softened into something melancholy and nostalgic. “Not until I loved Malik. Perhaps I am simply a foolish old man to only believe when it suits me but losing Malik caused such pain.”

Sly sighed, he wondered if he should ask what had happened. Galleth, Tennessee and Rioichi had all relayed stories of love lost too soon. Salim was a thief of great renown, his exploits legendary and Sly couldn’t help but wonder what kind of fraught adventure had caused Malik’s death.

“How did he…?”

“As many do, a hard life such as our wears you down. At least he was peaceful at the end, I can ask for no more when I finally join him.”

Old age? That was almost a relief to hear.

“When…? Umm how long ago did he… pass?”

“A little less than a year.” Salim looked away. “His passing was what encouraged my brothers to pull me from retirement. One last job to help me mend my grief they said.” He hung his head into his hands. “And I failed them.”

Sly gripped his ancestor’s shoulder. “We’ll get them back,” he reassured. “This is nothing.”

“Confidence is well and good boy but even Coopers need to remember too much pride will cost you.”

“Yeah I’ve heard that before.” Sly muttered shifting in his seat.

“Caution over pride and do not be distracted as I was. That is the best advice I can give you.” He lifted his cup and took a sip. “Ah I am so tired.”

Sly felt sorry for Salim in that moment, he abruptly seemed less of a grumpy old man and much more weary and worn down. Someone who had lost what was most important and it had cost him twice over. 

What could easily be a glimpse into Sly’s own future.

No, Sly steeled himself, he would not let his problems with Carmelita distract him here. They had a job to do, thieves to save.

“The other advice I can give you is to keep her close, keep her safe. I would not see a fellow Cooper suffer as I have before their time.

Sly looked over to Carmelita, her conversation with Bentley had become indignant shouting and threatening hand gestures. Sly could see Bentley pleading and felt himself smile. Carmelita did a pretty good job at looking after herself, it was one of the things he loved best about her. “I’ll do my best.” He told Salim. “I’ll do my best.

* * *

Nothing was ever easy.

Le Paradox had Salim’s cane, Ms Decibel had Salim and the three of them were watching Le Paradox’s blimp ascend with the forged documents. Sly had to stop him.  
But first, 

“Salim are you alright?” He and Murray tried to help the old man sit up.

“I tried… I couldn’t stop him.”

“It’s okay, we’ll get your cane back.” Sly said quickly.

“No.” Salim gripped his sleeve, he was badly hurt. He must have fought hard. “I couldn’t protect her for you… I am sorry.”

Sly went cold, Carmelita. Something had happened to Carmelita.

“Sly… Le Paradox, the documents, our futures!” Bentley reminded him.

Sly bit back a curse, he couldn’t be distracted not now, not when literally everything was on the line. He had to catch that blimp.

Unfortunately, Ms Decibel had something to say about that but Sly had always fought opponents bigger than himself and she was no challenge.  
As she collapsed to the ground, the section of the docking rig they stood on began to close in on itself, Sly had no choice but to jump using his glider to get to safety.

He looked back up, seeing Ms. Decibel dangling from a rope, begging Le Paradox to let her board he refused and gestured behind him. Sly saw a bound Carmelita still in her dancer outfit, teeth bared snarling at Le Paradox.

Sly hit the ground. They had to get her out of there, he looked at his gang then back to the blimp. They had to do something.

Le Paradox turned from his dismissal of Ms. Decibel and smirked down at Sly smug in his assumed victory. “And as for you Cooper I wouldn’t even think of trying anything, otherwise we’ll see if your girlfriend here can fly.” He dragged Carmelita forward. “And I don’t see any wings on her do you?” He ran his hands over her, touching her everywhere. 

Sly was holding his cane so tightly his hand ached. He was going to kill the old skunk.

Carmelita thrashed, “touch me again and I’ll rip off your tail and ram it down your throat.” She threatened then called out Sly’s name as Le Paradox shoved her away.

“’Lita! Don’t worry we’ll get you out of there.” Sly yelled.

Le Paradox’s smug smile widened, “no.” He said. “No I don’t think you will. In fact I believe there is a perfect saying for just this situation, the fat lady she has sung.” 

Ms Decibel dropped to the dock and the blimp finished its ascent. There was a flash of light and it was gone. Sly was rooted to the spot staring at where it had been.

“They’re going back to Paris, we need to follow.” He turned to his gang.

“You know it’s going to be a trap right?” Bentley sighed.

“I know.” Sly nodded. “I know.” They would make a plan, save Carmelita, recover the stolen canes, save the future. End all of this.

Sly had walked willing into traps before, and he would do so again.

It was the least he could do.

For someone he loved.


End file.
